J.D.B. News Letter

(By our Tangiers correspondent)

The Committee of the Jewish Community of Tangiers, in its memorandum to the Conference in Paris between Great Britain, France, Italy and Spain, presented the demand that the Jews be taken into account in the negotiations which are in progress for the revision of the Statutes of the International Zone of Tangiers.

Under the terms of the Sherecf’s decree of February 1924 the powers of administration and justice are retained by the Cadi and Pasha of Morocco, that is to say he judges in matters administrative, civil, personal and commercial, in all cases in which Moroccan subjects only are involved.

This jurisdiction is of great importance to the Jewish subjects of Morocco. The judgments of the Mendoub, however, are not subject to appeal.

The memorandum demands that a court of appeal should be set up to deal with all cases affecting amounts exceeding 5,000 Moroccan Francs and with all criminal cases.

When a Moroccan Jew has a case before the Mendoub’s tribunal, the Mendoub or his Khalifa is assisted by a Jewish assesseur. This asseseur, elected at random, receives no payment.

“We demand,” the memorandum says, “that the Jewish assesseur shall be a permanent judge and paid at the same rate as the Khalifa.”

The Mixed Tribunal has competence in all cases where one of the parties is a foreigner. It happens therefore frequently that a Moraccan Jew has to appear before this tribunal. Under the terms of the dahir on the judiciary organization, a Moraccan is at liberty to select the nationality (British, French or Spanish) of one or another assesseur. “We demand that in a penal matter where a Moroccan Jew is accused the titular judge shall always have one Moroccan Jewish assesscur and that a list shall be prepared by the Mendoubia of such assesseurs at the Mixed Tribunal.”

If the position of the natives of Tangiers, the Moors and the Jews, be considered, then the immorality of the Tangier Statute is at once apparent, writes the “Tangier Gazette.”

“Let us take the position of the Jews, to commence with. Although they are as well educated, as influential and as public spirited as any other section of the Tangier population, they are considered by the Statute to be only worthy of very limited civic rights. It is to the credit of the Jews that they refuse to accept this position and make their case heard at the Paris Conference.”

M. Steeg, the French Resident General in Morocco, one of the three Jews who were included in M. Painleve’s Cabinet, paid an official visit to Tangier on board the “Marechal Lyautey.”

In view of the present position with regard to the demands made by the Tangier Jews for a change in their status, submitted to the Four-Power Tangier Conference in Paris, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency correspondent inquired of M. Steeg in the course of an interview what he thought of the Jews of Morocco and their position.

“As a Frenchman,” M. Steeg replied, “I know in French territory only French citizens, without any distinction of religion or race. When a Breton is presented to me I do not seek his origins in Bretagne. He is to me a Frenchman. And so with all French citizens. Judaism holds great interest for the philosopher and the theologian, but not for the politician.

“The status of the Moroccan Jews, although greatly improved, is still some what peculiar. The work of evolution has not yet been fully accomplished. They require time to adapt themselves to our civilization. I am speaking, of course, only of those cities whith I know, Mogador, Rabat, Casablanca, etc. Of Tangier I cannot say much, because I do not know it sufficiently. But there will be more changes, and more evolution. You must not forget, however, that I am an administrator. I do not like making idle declarations. I am a man of action and when I act I know no race or creed.”

Sir Myer Spielman and Lady Spielman, who have been on a visit here, have been given a reception in their honor by the Tangier Jewish Community.

In an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency representative, Lady Spielman, who is chairman of the Education Committee of the Jewish Board of Deputies, said that she had been favorably impressed by the work of the English classes subsidized by the Board in Tangier Both Sir Myer and Lady Spielman expressed their pleasure at seeing the important Jewish colony in Tangier.

“The reconstruction of Palestine,” he said, “is a common task to which all Jews ought to contribute.”